CIL allays supply shortfall fears of power sector

Coal India Ltd (CIL) has allayed supply shortfall apprehension of the power sector and said it is concentrating efforts to meet the projected coal demand of this sector.
“CIL’s priority is ensuring adequate supplies to the power sector and see that the nation gets power at just price. The aim is to securitise energy at least cost” said a CIL’s executive .

The state-owned coal miner, till March 24 of the ongoing fiscal, supplied record 528 million tonnes (MTs) of coal to power utilities. This is 98.5% of the prorated demand of 536 MTs projected by Ministry of Power and Central Electricity Authority.

CIL is expected to open the fiscal FY’23 with over 60 MTs at its pitheads. The stockpile of domestic coal at power plants is expected to rise to around 25 MTs by the closure of the fiscal, the bulk of it augmented by CIL’s supplies, he said.

An additional 4.5 MTs will be available at goods sheds, washeries and ports. Indigenous coal stock at power houses monitored by CEA stood at 23.7 MTs as of March 24.

CIL offered 11.2 MTs spot coal in two rounds on ‘as is where is basis’, to boost coal stocks at the generating units in September’21. With 35 MTs of coal lifted through special forward e-auction window, meant for power sector, the year-on-year growth was 53% till date.

Power houses without power purchase agreement (PPA) are eligible for participation under a separate auction window called SHAKTI B(viii-a).